


Take My Love and Give it Back Again

by cminerva



Series: Christmas in Absaroka [5]
Category: Longmire (TV)
Genre: Canon divergent season 6, Christmas Fluff, F/M, Family Feels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-27
Updated: 2020-12-27
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:20:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28350786
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cminerva/pseuds/cminerva
Summary: Cady tells Jacob about some family traditions. Title from "My Gift is You" by Gwen Stefani.
Relationships: Cady Longmire/Jacob Nighthorse
Series: Christmas in Absaroka [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2075856
Comments: 6
Kudos: 10
Collections: Longmire Holiday Exchange





	Take My Love and Give it Back Again

**Author's Note:**

  * For [unkemptseeker](https://archiveofourown.org/users/unkemptseeker/gifts).



> Prompt by cady-nighthorse: Literally anything that’s fluffy and happy. 
> 
> There are some tears, sorry!
> 
> This fic stands on its own but I highly recommend starting with Part 1 of the Christmas in Absaroka Series! (Or at least Part 4.)

Cady was quiet on the drive back to her house. Jacob glanced over at her from time to time as he drove and thought he noticed the shine of tears in the light from the passing cars despite the smile that played around her lips. He didn’t press, knowing Cady would talk when she felt ready.

As Jacob parked the car in front of Cady’s house, she laid her hand on his leg.

“Thank you for coming with me tonight,” she said, her eyes glinting in the dim light cast by the streetlamps. Jacob reached up to touch her face and brushed his knuckles against the tears he knew he’d find.

“Do you want to talk about what’s bothering you? Is it your mother?”

Cady sniffed and rifled through her purse, pulling out a handful of candy canes.

“Henry gave me these before I left.”

Jacob stared at the candy in her hand and searched for some relevant bit of knowledge that would explain the significance.

“That was kind of him,” he said at last.

Cady laughed and wiped at her cheeks with the back of her hand.

“It’s a tradition we used to share,” she told him. “When I was little, my dad told me that Santa’s reindeer ate candy canes so every year we’d toss bits of candy cane in the front yard and every morning they’d be gone. It was years after I stopped believing in Santa before I realized that he and Henry must have gone out and cleaned up all the broken pieces before I woke up.”

Jacob considered the brightly colored candy Cady kept clutched in her fist.

“What other traditions did your family share?” Jacob watched Cady’s face light up as she told him stories about reindeer footprints in the snow, an ever growing collection of string lights, and a certain Christmas album that her mother would listen to more than any other.

“And mom and I would always pack a little bag of cookies for “Mrs Claus”, which of course were just for her,” Cady said, laughing. A fresh wave of tears coursed down her cheeks, but she was smiling. 

Jacob reached over and pulled one of the candy canes from her hand. 

“I think we could continue a tradition or two,” he told her. Cady grinned and kissed him. 

They unwrapped the candy canes and broke them as Cady directed, sprinkling them across her front yard. Their hands were sticky by the time they finished but Cady was beaming.

The next morning, Jacob had coffee and quiche ready when Cady woke, but she stopped at the dining room window before sitting down. She was squinting out into the yard when Jacob joined her at the window and laid his hand across her lower back, gently pulling her closer to him.

“What are you looking at?” he asked her in a whisper.

Cady gave him a suspicious look and turned back towards the yard. 

“The candy canes are gone.”

“Hm, are you sure?” Jacob pursed his lips and made a show of craning his neck to see out the window.

Cady smiled and nudged him with her elbow then tucked herself into his side. Jacob wrapped his arms around her and gave her a quick squeeze.

“Thank you,” she whispered. Jacob smiled and kissed her head.

“Merry Christmas, my love.”


End file.
